Hey man, you do you, frankly I wasn't commenting on what you choose to do for yourself but rather when others impose the value system on you, be it your work or your community.

But side note: your post history talks about having sex in a relationship to a girl you weren't married to. Pretty sure fornication is on level with divorce outside of the aforementioned reasons, so maybe let's not cherry pick here and just admit we do whatever we want at the end of the day.

I'm far from being an authority on rifle shooting, most of my experience is with a red dot on my AR at <100 yards, and this is my first 10/22. But I'm happy to tell you what I got and why.

I chose the 10/22 takedown with a modular stock from Bud's Gun Shop, catalog number 21115 (requested price match, got it down to $262 cash shipped, added $3 shipping insurance). I chose a takedown because I'm looking to use this as a small game/bug out gun in addition to range toy, and the added compactness was worth the $60 to me. The backpack is a nice bonus, but I don't plan on using it beyond a range bag. I chose this particular model because I'm very interested in getting the Ruger Silent-SR integrally suppressed barrel down the road, and its styling matches this model's stock very well.

For an optic, I just got a basic Simmons 3-9x32mm scope from Amazon with the suggested scope rings and picattiny rail mount for the 10/22. Red dots are great and all, but I want to fiddle with some magnified optics.

Ultimately, it's a 10/22, and if you want a true "tack driver" without a ton of upgrading parts, you're better off getting a bolt-action .22lr of some sort. But for everything else, it'll be a good time.

Frankly, the "Texas was it's own country" portion of our history is one of the worst ones we've whitewashed. As what was probably the only constitutional republic in the history of the world to explicitly enshrine slavery in its constitution, the 1836 Constitution forbade its legislature from ever restricting the slave trade or emancipating slaves, declared that a slave could only be freed with congressional approval, and that no free person of African descent could live in the republic of Texas without congressional approval. Texas' slavery policy isolated it internationally, it relied on slave-driven cotton trade, and it suffered from a failing economy shortly after inception (as the price of cotton happened to plummet not long after Texas independence was gained from Mexico). This weak position coupled with a hostile Mexico to the South contributed heavily to the joining of the Union.

The history of our own state, even independent of any Confederacy, is deeply connected to slavery and racism, and intervening generations have done a great job of covering up that fact. Correcting this isn't dismantling our history, it's taking a critical eye to a racially motivated narrative constructed after the Civil War.

At first, I was pissed off that I just bought one of these for $265 shipped from Buds on Friday (asked for price match with gunbroker and got it down to $262, used e-check for cash discount, added $3 for shipping insurance), but then I did the checkout numbers on this deal and it would cost me pretty much the same after shipping (Didn't see a cash option, so it has a ~$7 convenience fee).

This is not a rare thing in Dallas, people frequently dump dogs on Dowdy Ferry Road, thinking they're "returning them to the wild" or whatever. Most die of starvation and exposure. Some get rescued, many in very bad shape. Don't be stupid, your dog is a domesticated animal, they will die out there.

I have one of these on my Walther PPQ, really like it. No, it's not a blinding beam of light so if that's important to you, this isn't your light. But it's very good at illuminating targets in handgun range and doesn't blind you when it bounces off of walls in close quarters. Operation is fantastic, love the solid click of the ambi buttons and the quick-press-to-activate and press-and-hold-for-momentary-on is a really easy to use and practical system.

The only issue I've had: I noticed the pin that holds the switch I actuate the most has a tendency to "walk" up after a while and I have to push it back in. Not a big deal, but something I have to check for every now and again.

Peticolas - IMO this is the best brewery in town. Velvet Hammer is the first good Dallas beer to my mind and remains one of the best, but the real beauty is that there isn't a single bad beer made in this brewery. If you're an IPA lover, Sit Down or I'll Sit You Down and Crush It should be on your list. If you're less of a hop-head, Great Scot, Royal Scandal, and Black Curtains are ready for you.

Community - If you love Mosaic hops, it's not a hard argument to say their Mosaic IPA is one of the best in the country. Legion is damn good, and while it'll be cooler in October, their Helles is my go-to summer beer.

Lakewood - If for not other reason than you've gotta get some Temptress, a milk stout that's their flagship and a Dallas staple. There are a lot of variants that I don't entirely love, but French Quarter Temptress is my favorite. Beautiful brewing facility overall

Braindead Brewing - In the heart of Deep Ellum (a neighborhood, where another brewery gets its name0, this is a brewpub that also serves good food and a variety of beers in addition to their own. Not afraid to experiment, they always have new things on and a huge variety of beers to try. They're probably the most creative and adventurous brewery in DFW. Their head brewer is actually the original brewer at Deep Ellum Brewing Company. Also a good launching pad to explore the rest of the neighborhood from.

Honorable mentions: Four Corners (they've got those cool 360 can lids that come off completely), Noble Rey (arcade games, brewpub some solid beers of their own, cool atmosphere), Collective (in Fort Worth, but making some solid sours), Deep Ellum Brewing Company (arguably the most successful Dallas brewery, I really only consistently enjoy the barrel-aged and sours they put out lately)

Beer Bars/Restaurants

LUCK - If you want to go to one bar to try as many DFW beers as possible, this is the place. They don't carry any beers that aren't made locally in the metroplex, they keep a good variety on and have the newest stuff, and they do growler fills. Their food is delicious as well, try the bierrocks and the pastrami sandwich.

Strangeways - Offbeat place, consistently considered the best beer bar in Dallas. Fantastic beer list always, great whiskeys and other liquors too. Bar food is surprisingly good, though not the focus. They actually once got raided by the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission for selling beers not approved for sale in Texas. They also had a keg of Cantillon just sitting in the keg stacks in the main room for months, taunting us until Sour Week. It's that kind of bar and I love it. It's also dark and moody as hell.

Meddlesome Moth - Maybe the OG gastropub for Dallas, this place has quality food, a great atmosphere, and a very strong beer list at all times. Good for brunch, lunch, or dinner.

On Rotation - This one is a brewpub like Braindead, so they both make beer and sell other beer, but the vast majority of their taps are from other breweries. Good selection, but also a really nice laid back place if you're looking for somewhere not noisy. They're also right next to Cane Rosso if you want to get some good Neopolitan style pizza and eat it in the bar.

The Common Table - For a lot of Dallas beer people, this is kind of their Cheers. Small, great food and quality beer selection, really homey feel, and lots of friends hanging out. The only place I drink at in Uptown.

Craft Beer Cellar - A great store for packaged beer as well as 18 on tap. The bartenders and owners are great people, know their stuff, and it's in a nice relatively low-key part of town in East Dallas. My go-to for package beer to take home.

Craft and Growler - Growler fill place, large selection, new management is making some needed changes that is helping refresh their list and environment. Also up the street from a great mezcal bar, if you want to try some great mezcals that I don't imagine make their way up to the NE very often.

Honorable Mentions: Dot's (huge 99 beer tap list, right across from Braindead, but it gets crowded and attracts the Uptown crowd), Black Swan (no beer really, just cocktails, but damn good cocktails), Armoury (also good cocktails, but also beer and food which are damn solid), Lakewood Growler (neighborhood growler shop, a lot of friends of mine hang out there and parking isn't an issue like a lot of places more in the city center), Libertine (long-time Lower Greenville spot, good beer, cocktails, food, and a great place to just hang out and relax)

I've probably forgotten a few places, but I'll update as they come to me.

A couple of notes: If you're looking for beer to take home, production breweries (Peticolas, Community, Lakewood, etc) cannot sell you beer for off-premise consumption because of state law, unfortunately. Brewpubs, however, can (Noble Rey, Braindead, etc). It's a long story as to what the differences are, but basically don't expect to take home bottles from every place you go. If you're interested in doing some trading down here, people love Night Shift, Trillium, etc. DM me and I can make some offers or get you in touch with some locals.

Regarding neighborhoods, each has its own flavor like any place. A few highlights:

Downtown doesn't have much at the moment, a few fun dive bars and some nice hotel bars.

Uptown has a douchey reputation, but if you like clubs and some nice bars, it's got you covered. Bishop Arts is a gentrifying part of Oak Cliff with nice restaurants, cider places, great pie, etc etc.

Deep Ellum is the dingy, funky off-beat part of town that has changed a lot in the past few years with breweries, bars, restaurants and new shops. Some fear it's losing its identity as a result, but it still has long-time gems like the dive bars Adair's and The Free Man.

Lower Greenville is a series of blocks with restaurants, bars, and venues. The southern-most part has some great spots like HG Sply, Blind Butcher, and the aforementioned Libertine.

Yep, plays the game well; keeps the establishment wealthy happy by gladly being paid off to steer taxpayer funded contracts their way, while keeping his direct constituents happy by steering just the right amount of public projects in their direction.

I'm a lefty liberal who, while owning guns, is still of the opinion that stronger gun control legislation would do a lot of good to reduce gun violence in the US.

BUT.

You're being an idiot for the following reasons.

We don't yet have good solid information on all of this. I saw an article on Heavy.com with far more details, but it could be inaccurate. The details of the killer's mental health are speculation for most of us right now.

From posts by his former friends and such, it sounds like he didn't have these issues until recently. If he hadn't sought help, he wouldn't show up on any system checks anyway. Plus, being an angry person isn't enough to be flagged by a mental health professional. And since he apparently owned guns long before this year, it's nothing a point of sale check could prevent.

The man seems to have no criminal record apparently, so no precedent for this kind of violence that would have him show up on a check.

WTF is this about terrorism? Yeah, white guys are terrorists too, but this was a mass shooting stemming from a domestic dispute. A terrorist act requires a political motivation.

So while I agree more should be done on the issue of guns in the US, using this one example that probably doesn't even apply to tack onto your policy argument is wrong-headed and thoughtless.